


It Can't be You.

by acautionarytale



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bellamione - Freeform, Bellamione Cult Secret Santa 2019, Discord: Bellamione Cult, F/F, Soul Bond, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:53:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21942451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acautionarytale/pseuds/acautionarytale
Summary: Hermione had always been told that having a unique saying tattooed on your body could only be a blessing. So many people were stuck with things like excuse me and hello, etc. etc. The ones with unique sayings often had the deepest and most special of loves because there was no denying them. She’d believed them right up until the end of her fifth year at Hogwarts standing in the dimly lit Hall of Prophecies.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Bellatrix Black Lestrange
Comments: 95
Kudos: 906
Collections: Bellamione Cult Secret Santa 2019





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [annacec](https://archiveofourown.org/users/annacec/gifts).



Hermione had always been told that having a unique saying tattooed on your body could only be a blessing. So many people were stuck with things like excuse me and hello, etc. etc. The ones with unique sayings often had the deepest and most special of loves because there was no denying them. She’d believed them right up until the end of her fifth year at Hogwarts standing in the dimly lit Hall of Prophecies.

Harry’s brave voice anchored her. She thought she was ready for anything, but what came completely derailed her.

A cackle sounded and her heart sped up. “He knows how to play!” a shrill woman’s voice rang out and her blood ran cold. No. A dark haired woman appeared out of the shadows and finished with the last words she wanted to hear from her mouth, “Itty bitty, baby, Potter.” 

Even given the danger they were all in, her friends all turned to her open mouthed. They all knew those were the exact words tattooed on her thigh. She’d used it to convince Harry that he’d live through the war and have a son. Her eyes were stuck on the woman before her, her soulmate, a deranged murderer. 

“It can’t be you. You’re a monster,” she spat out without a thought. Bellatrix Lestrange’s eyes narrowed and Hermione flinched, recognizing quickly what she had doomed her soulmate to be marked with. 

Bellatrix straightened and blinked at Hermione. Her lips twisted into a sneer. “I’ve been meaning to thank you for that for such a long time,” the woman said, drifting into a sing song manner at the end. 

Their eyes locked and Hermione gulped. They started moving towards each other without even realizing as they stared. Lucius didn’t know what Dumbledore’s Army did and he was baffled while the Howarts’ students were horrified. Neville wrapped his arms around Hermione and stopped her as Lucius grabbed Bellatrix’s arm stopping her.

“You can’t have her,” Neville said. The woman studied his face, seeing every weakness immediately. She grinned in recognition.

“Neville Longbottom, is it? How’s mum and dad?” Bellatrix asked, moving forward as she raised her wand. Neville loosened his hold on her and Hermiome turned her head away, wanting to retch. 

“Better now, they’re about to be avenged,” he said, drawing his wand and pointing it at the woman. Hermione couldn’t stop herself, even feeling sick at her soul mate’s words, from grabbing his wrist. He looked at her with such betrayal in his eyes. Bellatrix cackled her signature laugh.

“Let’s everybody just calm down,” Lucius said, raising his arms in a non threatening manner. “All we want is that prophecy.”

“And the girl,” Bellatrix hissed. Lucius shot her a bewildered look and she shrugged. 

“We will never give you Hermione,” Harry said, his wand lighting his face. 

“Hermione,” the older woman said, rolling the name over her tongue like a decadent wine. “Boy, I can tell, you know as well as I do, the girl is already mine.” She let out another cackle. 

“She isn’t!” he shouted. 

“What are you doing?” Lucius hissed.

“Shut up, Lucy.”

“Bella, please. Let’s be reasonable. Our Lord needs the prophecy. Don’t forget our mission.” 

Her hands clenched at her sides. She hated that he was right. They needed to get their hands on that prophecy or the repercussions would be dire. Now that she knew who the girl was, she’d have her eventually. “Fine. If you give us the prophecy, you can keep the girl,” She grinned. “For now.”

“She’s a Muggleborn!” Neville shouted at her. 

Bellatrix’s eyes turned to slits and she searched the girl’s face. The girl gave a little nod, confirming the Longbottom boy’s words. She let out a snort. “She’s still mine. Think about it, Potter. If you don’t give us the prophecy and this erupts into a fight, who do you think I will be going after?”

“Harry,” Hermione said, sorrowfully. 

Bellatrix met her soulmate’s eyes and they were full of a conflicted emotion Bella couldn’t understand. “Don’t give it to her,” Hermione said. Bella let out a feral growl. 

The Potter boy shouted, “Now!” The students shot off spells in every direction, stunning at least two Death Eaters before scattering. Her witch took out one of them. She gleefully gave chase, cackling all the while. The others could go after Potter. She had a witch to catch. 

As she ran down the aisles of the Hall of Prophecy, her mind raced as she continued to laugh. After Azkaban, her Lord had given her all the oppo on the other side to read. There was only one Hermione, Hermione Granger. 

Her soulmate was one of Potter’s best friends and a Muggleborn. Considered by some already to be the brightest witch of this age and she was only a 5th year. The research said that the Ministry of Magic already had her in their sights and were looking forward to seeing her OWL results. Of course, her soulmate would be brilliant. Beautiful, too, if a bit young. 

Their file said she’d lost her trace recently due to her copious use of a time turner her third year at Hogwarts. So technically, the girl was 17 and of age in magical circles. It had stuck in her mind when she read it because given a time turner in school, she would have totally abused it as apparently her soulmate had. The report speculated that the girl used her extra time in the library, reading everything she could. It had made her smile. She’d have done something similar, but no sane Ministry employee would have given her a time turner even during her 3rd year. 

Her soulmate brilliant as she was thought she was a monster. It should bother her, but he had accepted the idea long ago. She’d been literally branded with it decades ago. Before the girl was even born. MONSTER. Her soulmate thought she was a monster. Her sisters tried to convince her that the words weren’t about her, but she only pretended to believe them. 

She knew her soulmate would think she was a monster. She didn’t understand Andy then, but she did to an extent now. The draw to her little witch that started the moment the words were said felt like an hook in her heart.

One of the students sent out a powerful Reducto that had the unfortunate side effect of knocking the shelves over and filling the Hall up with white mist and the sound of shattering glass. She ducked out of the Hall just as the shelves would have hit her. She emerged into the room with the doors. Her girl was close. She hoped that she had gotten separated from her friends, but doubted she’d be that lucky. The Longbottom boy seemed especially dead set on keeping them apart. 

Other Death Eaters stumbled into the room. Even though Lucius was leading this mission they knew she was the next in command so they looked to her for guidance. She knew what door her girl was behind and didn’t want company so she sent them through other ones, leaving marks on the doors to show the other Death Eaters they had gone. 

Wand raised, she entered the room. Brains floated in jars and she sneered. The Unspeakables really did some unspeakable work. 

“Muddy!” she shouted in a childish way. “Your monster has come to find you,” she sing songed. Her wand stayed in front of her as she searched the room. “I miss you already. I know you feel it, too. We are connected now as much as your friends want to deny it. You know you can’t. You are mine.” 

Spells shot out of the dark at her and she dodged them easily. “Lover, come to me,” she crooned. “You know you want to. I’ve read about you. Do you know I was once considered?” She dodged more spells. They didn’t realize they were giving away their location. Her witch probably knew, but hadn’t stopped them, yet. A hope. A dream. She may be a monster to the girl, but they were connected. 

When the words appeared around her ankle, she was 10. Unfortunately, her mother had been the first to spot them, so she didn’t even have a chance to hide them. With a twitch of her mother’s wrist, she was frozen and her skirt lifted. She turned the ankle as she read. With a sneer, she grabbed her chin, searching her face. “I wish I could say I was surprised.” She shoved Bella’s leg away from her and released the spell. Bella had fell to the ground. Once her mother was out of sight, she read her ankle. Monster. 

Eventually, she decided that if the person that would love her the most thought she was a monster, then she would accept being a monster. Embrace it even.

“Lover,” she shouted. “I will find you!” Her loud mouth antics were a gamble, but she knew they would expect her loud and she didn’t want to disappoint. She sent her voice to different areas of the room. The girl would know where she was, but she had faith as she snuck up on them. Her stunner took out the Longbottom boy. 

“Thank you for not killing him,” the girl said, quietly, wand up.

“I didn’t think you would like it if I did, but even still…” Bella said. “You may think I am a monster, but I’ve never supported killing children.” She looked down at the boy. “I saved his life once before. Wouldn’t feel right to kill him now or ever really. If anything he deserves to kill me. I didn’t do enough. His parents’ deserved better.” She looked around. “Are we alone?” she asked, wand still up. 

Hermione kept her wand up. “We are.”

“Hermione Granger,” she said, slowly, “Brightest witch of her age. Golden girl.”

The girl sighed. “Bellatrix Lestrange. Lieutenant and right hand to the Dark Lord.” 

“I’ll make it Black again as soon as I can,” she said, with a grin and a wink. 

The girl fought herself, but a small smile stole across her face. 

“Do you like the boy?” Bella gestured to the prone figure.

“Yes,” the girl said, looking down. “He is the kindest person I know. He’s a pure soul.”

“I’m glad I didn’t kill him then,” Bellatrix said.

Hermione head snapped up. “I’m glad as well.”

She looked the girl over before she said stupidly, “Hey.”

Hermione smiled as she let out a short laugh. “Hey, yourself.” 

Bella obviously noticed the wand drawn against her, but she was indifferent to it. She knew the girl wouldn’t use it. 

She pressed in and let the wand press against her corset. “Love,” she said, softly. 

“You can’t bring me to your Lord,” the girl said. “I may feel certain ways about you, but I won’t walk into death just because you asked.”

Bellatrix grinned. “I like that you think you have a choice.” Her witch’s wand moved up to her face. 

“Pet, even with that pointed at my face, I would win. Look down.” Hermione shot a glance down to see a curved wand pointed against her heart.

“Don’t test me, muddy. I will win. Before you could even form a spell, I’ll have the counter ready. Accept it. I’ve got a few years experience on you.” 

“I won’t accept your Lord.”

“Did I ask you to accept the Dark Lord as your Lord?”

“He wouldn’t have me anyway,” Hermione spat out, but lowered her wand.

“You’d be right.” Bellatrix smiled and tucked hers away. “You won’t run just away with me, I suppose?” Bella asked, with a pout. Hermione shook her head and Bellatrix sighed. “I figured as much,” she said, eyeing the girl. 

“Some part of me that I don’t fully understand wishes I could just leave with you, but Harry needs me.” Hermione said, studying her face.

“Lucius is a fool and he will probably get arrested tonight which will help us, even though I don’t think he realized what happened between us,” she said, “He’s a bit dense which again works to our benefit. If the Dark Lord somehow learned about you, he would have me manipulate you and then eventually do away with the both of us.” She smiled, “But, you are mine not his and I don’t share.”

Hermione let out a breath. “I don’t want you to share me.” Her hand reached out and traced the strong lines of Bellatrix’s face. “I don’t want to share you, but I don’t know what to do with you. Will you leave him for me?”

“I will never share you,” she said, slipping her hand around Hermione’s waist and pulling her against her, “I’m yours. We’ll find a way.” She leaned in and kissed the girl, soft and gentle, in a way she never expected she’d ever kiss her soulmate. She’d hated the idea for so long and here she was being soft. 

The feeling of the girl melting in her arms left her on fire. The dirty things she wanted to do to the girl she had in her grasp, her leather against cotton. Their eyes met and she felt like she was drowning in the soft love from the girl’s eyes. After of a lifetime without, it was everything she never knew she wanted. With only one fix of the girl and she was hooked.

“Hermione,” she breathed out. 

“It’s time,” Hermione said, with an equally husky voice. She, shyly, ducked in and pressed her lips to Bella,which near about splintered her heart it was so innocent and gentle in a way that she could barely comprehend. Bellatrix sucked the girl’s lower lip for a moment before releasing it with a groan. 

“Shall I take you hostage now?” she asked. 

“You’ll let me go won’t you?” 

“Do you trust me?” 

The girl nodded weakly. “Against my better judgement.” Bella tightened her hold for a moment. The whimper that escaped the girl’s mouth sent goosebumps throughout her whole body. Bellatrix barely managed to stop herself from shoving the girl down on a hard surface and taking her. Instead, she pressed her wand against Hermione’s neck and led her out of the room, with her hand in the small of the girl’s back.

She used to imagine destroying her soulmate, but now… she didn’t know. She could do it right now. The girl had made herself entirely vulnerable to her. Hermione was oh so defenseless with her wand pressed against her throat. Monster, echoed in her head and her steps slowed. The girl’s careless words had caused her a lifetime of pain, but also a lifetime of freedom. She’d been given an excuse to cause pain. 

They arrived in the room with the veil and all head’s turned. It seemed they had missed the end of the battle. The Death Eaters had most of the students detained in a circle with Harry in the center across from Lucius. Bella pulled Hermione up into the circle. “Sorry for the delay. She’s a feisty one.” she said, grinning maniacally as everyone stared at them. “What’d we miss?”

The students were clearly trying to figure out her game with Hermione, but the Death Eaters seemed rather oblivious as they returned their focus to the prophecy resting in the Potter boy’s hand. The Potter boy kept shooting her looks so she sent him an exaggerated wink and she could tell it threw him as he faltered against whatever Lucy was saying. Her witch nudged her with her elbow and she glanced over to see a stern look on the young girl’s face. Her heart stirred in a way she wasn’t used to and she wasn’t sure how to interpret just yet. “I saw that,” the girl hissed in a low tone. 

“If we don’t get that prophecy, it won’t be pretty when I escape. The Dark Lord won’t be pleased. He’s been planning this for a long time. Failure is everyone fault even if he put Lucy in charge,” Bellatrix whispered fast and hot into her ear as Lucius negotiated with Harry.

“He will torture you?”

“Yes.”

“Will you tell me what it says?”

“If he lets me hear it,” Bellatrix said. Hermione let out a soft exhale. 

“Give it to him, Harry!” Hermione shouted. Harry met her eyes, searchingly and after a moment gave a slow nod. Her friends were clearly shocked by her exclamation, but Bellatrix was shocked to see that they trusted her even knowing who her soulmate was. Lucius stepped forward eagerly to take it from him, but sudden bombs of light appearing startled him and he fumbled it. Hermione’s wand whipped out, fiercely casting a spell in her desperation. Her soulmate would not be tortured. 

The prophecy stalled its decent and reversed direction and soared into her hand. The Order had arrived and chaos reigned. Hermiome pushed Bellatrix out of the main fray. With a wave of her wand, she enchanted one of her pockets and slid the prophecy inside. “I’m sure, I’m going to ask you to teach me how to do it better, but for now,” she kissed her head and then her cheeks and finally her lips. Rather cute and also dramatic since spells were still raining down on them, but her girl must have been awfully confident with her shield. As the shield held, Bellatrix could only think well, of course, I have the best Muggleborn in history.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No editing and written on my phone. May or may not continue.

Her suspicions voiced to her Mudblood proved true; Lucius had been arrested. Narcissa had been rather displeased at the news. She hadn’t even gotten the chance to tell her that she had found her soul bond before she was shoved out of the manor. She was still undecided if it had been for her safety or Narcissa’s anger over the arrest of her own soulmate. 

Bellatrix could suddenly understand all the emotions her sisters had claimed to feel. She had always thought it a lark. But now...She wouldn’t have her Lord’s favor right now without her little one. 

Her Lord had granted her the privilege of hearing it with him and she had to admit it had confounded the both of them. He did seem to understand a bit more than she did, but that’s why he was her Lord and not equal. He did allow her to voice her questions. She had to be careful with her wording. Since his rebirth, he’d been more capricious. More deadly to his own followers. 

Did it mean her Lord and the Potter boy were immortal while the other lived? It certainly changed the game a bit. She wondered if it gave her leeway with her little soulmate problem. For the first time, she wondered if her Lord had a soulmate. Bellatrix knew she needed to banish thoughts and memories of her witch into the back of her mind. 

The Dark Lord enjoyed the freedom she allowed him into her mind and it wouldn’t do for her to clamp shut at an invasion. Thankfully, the prophecy and his anger at Lucius and the others that had been arrested had distracted him and he hadn’t tried to see how exactly she managed to secure the prophecy. 

Bellatrix thought of concocting an elaborate story, but really her witch had done the sensible thing and had she been in the right state she’d have done the same. For Merlin’s sake, they had magic. 

She remembered watching Lucius jump for it instead of using his damn wand. A quick arresto momentum would have saved them all. She hadn’t either though so definitely felt a bit a fool. Their mission could have been a complete disaster because they didn’t use their greatest gift. It amused her that they were only saved by a muggleborn. Rather embarrassing really. The fact that it was HER muggleborn helped a bit. 

Wait. Not muggleborn. Her Mudblood. Fuck. 

She made her excuses, promising to research and hurried from the room after a distracted wave from the Dark Lord dismissed her. 

They had made their base at an old hidden manor of the Lestranges so she knew it well. She, also, had her own room far away from Rodolphus, ironically care of her mother in law. Remembering her mother in law, reminded her she needed to kill her husband. 

Bellatrix definitely hated him, but his death would be a complication especially with how deadly her Lord had turned on his own followers and his brother would certainly demand retribution. Her mouth twisted as she came into her room. Rabastian couldn’t make a stink if the Dark Lord himself was the one to kill his brother. He’d be just as dead if he did. All she needed to do was create the situation. It eased a part of her consternation. 

She moved to her bathroom and set the bath pouring scented water. The magic somehow created the scent of Hermione and she shivered at the thought of literally bathing in the scent of her soulmate. 

As she eased into the hot water, an unpleasant thought occurred to her. She let her head fall back. 

She needed to talk to Andromeda. 

*****

Hermione like everyone else had been dragged to St. Mungos to be examined. Dumbledore had dragged Harry off and none of them knew where they had gone. Then came the Aurors with their questions. Thankfully, the injured were protected by the St. Mungos nurses, but that left her at the mercy of the Aurors. 

She had no idea if anyone would rat her out about her soulmate, but hoped they wouldn’t. They knew her. She was a muggleborn! She’d never support You-Know-Who and, honestly, might be able to bring over his most trusted. It would be quite a blow. If it was common knowledge though he’d either use Bellatrix or kill her outright. 

Before the Aurors showed, Neville sidled up to her, leaning a bit against her. “Your first words were so cruel,” he eventually said. She flinched. “Not unwarranted, but can you imagine having that tattooed on you? I’ve been trying.” 

Neville had “Oi really? You clumsy buffoon... that comes out of my paycheck.”

“She said she saved your life and that you deserved to kill her for not doing enough that night,” Hermione said. 

“I knew you were helping her in that room. Her past actions don’t absolve her of everything,” he said, looking at his hands. Hermione covered his with her own. 

“Definitely not. I don’t want you trying to forgive her because she’s my ... well.”

“If she is the match to your soul than she’s more than the evil witch that hurt my parents. There’s more there.” Neville sighed. “I just don’t know how to feel.”

“The Lestrange brothers were there and Barty Crouch as well. We don’t know exactly what happened that night,” she said, squeezing his hands. “I’m not trying to defend her. I just can’t imagine my soulmate would be that evil. Though it’s apparently very possible,” she said, looking away. 

Neville let out a wry laugh. “I’m whinging about what she might have done and you are soul bonded to a...”

“Monster?” Hermione said, wryly. “Merlin, she’s been tattooed with that since she was a child. She grew up knowing her soulmate thought she was a monster.” She shook her head. “Fate is an awful mistress.”

Neville modded. “I won’t tell. I don’t think the others will either. They know what will happen to her if they do and I think I’m the one that wants her dead the most.”

“Do you want her dead still? Knowing she kept you alive?”

Neville closed his eyes. “I’d kill her to get my parents back. She or well they left me with hope because they aren’t dead, but they really won’t ever be back so I can’t answer that Hermione. I’m glad I’m alive, but I wish they were more than just alive.”

Then came the Aurors. Soulmate bonds were protected by law, but Hermione didn’t trust the Aurors to keep her or Bellatrix safe. Selective omission was the game. Not lying, but leaving out bits wasn’t against the law really she argued. She really hoped everyone else was doing the same. 

The Ministry didn’t seem too interested in them thankfully and the next day they were sent back to Hogwarts to pack up their things. Neville stayed close and she appreciated it even if Ron seemed put out by it. She made sure to assure the redhead she’d be over during the summer months. She really hoped he wasn’t hoping to defy his soul bond. Now that she’d met her match it was clearly impossible and outrageous. Even if who she had found herself bound to was outrageous.

When she got off the train and said her goodbyes, she headed to the muggle side of King’s Cross. Her parents were fascinated by the magic, but not by the magical press that seemed much too interested in their daughter. They’d even inquired about how to deal with the press after what Rita Skeeter wrote during her 4th year. Her parents were lovely. 

When she stepped through the boundary, she had a large grin, but it fell at seeing who stood behind her parents with devious smirk on her face.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure what endgame for this looks and how far I’ll go with it. It’s just been fun to write a bit every now and again on my phone. I apologize to everyone that thought this was complete. I forgot to remove that when I posted. I do plan to write a bit more.

Hermione knew then she really should have done more to protect her family. She knew her trace was off and the order had protected the house, but clearly her parents were in so much more danger than any of them imagined and she hadn’t protected them. Logically, she knew Lestrange wouldn’t have been able to breach the wards if she intended harm, but she couldn’t help the feelings of dread and terror that welled up inside her. 

Bellatrix winked at her and she glared at her. It seemed to please the older woman and that just infuriated her more. Soulmate or not, she’d take the woman down a peg or two... somehow. 

Her parents eyed her curiously and then glanced back at their odd guest, who smiled at them cheerily. Hermione sighed and approached. Thanking the gods above that Bellatrix had the foresight to do this on the Muggle side of King’s Cross. 

Her parents hugged her tight. Finally, her mother pulled back. “Sorry to surprise you with Bellatrix, but we know she’s your soulmate.” Her mother eyed her suspiciously. “We thought you’d be happier. We know you didn’t get the chance to tell us, but we are so happy for you.” 

“How do you know she’s my soulmate?” Hermione asked, glancing at Bellatrix who was picking at her fingernails. 

Her dad grinned at her. “She showed us her memories. Magic is so amazing. I can’t wait until you can practice it around us.” Hermione flushed remembering her words to the older woman and wondered if she showed them that part of her memories. It seemed unlikely since she wasn’t getting a scolding from her mother and it would have only taken Bellatrix saying the words her parents knew so well to prove it to them. It was rather unique after all. 

“My trace ended this year so I can practice magic at home this summer. Remember the time turner I used back in 3rd year?” she said, with a shy smile to her parents. Her dad had been so excited when they found out she had magic and then terribly disappointed to find she couldn’t use it in front of him until she was of age. 

His face lit up before suddenly darkening. “Of age?” he asked, looking back at Bellatrix. 

Hermione laughed at the look on the older witch’s face. The woman was clearly unprepared for her father to think she had defiled his daughter. She covered her mouth to try and stifle her giggles but it didn’t work as they all looked at her and she snorted at how absurd it all was. 

“Hermione,” her father said, sternly. “You are certainly not proving you are of age at the moment.” 

Bellatrix frowned, furrowing her brow and it set Hermione off again. It seemed Bellatrix hadn't thought much about the fact her soulmate was a girl just out of her 5th year at Hogwarts. 

Hermione tried to collect herself. It was all just so utterly absurd. “She may be my soulmate, but it’s a very new discovery. As in the last week and I’ve been at school so nothing untoward has happened between us.” Just you know a battle to the death and untold prejudice. It caused another giggle to burst from her. 

“May I have your permission to speak to Hermione for a moment alone?” Bellatrix asked, as the girl was clearly struggling not to fall to hysterics. “I am rather famous in the magical world and I’m sure it’s still hard for her to accept. We haven’t had much time together as she has said.” Her parents nodded their assent and Bellatrix led her away, sneering at the passing Muggles that dared look at her. 

Bellatrix grabbed her face. “Get it together, Muddy.” Hermione’s face pinched and then she slapped Bellatrix. Hard. 

“Don’t call me that.”

Bellatrix kept her head tilted to the side for a long moment. Her hands fell off her soulmates face down to her waist and she pulled her close. The girl pressed her face into her shoulder and she could feel her trembling. “Stop that.” she murmured against the girl’s hair. 

Hermione pulled away. “I hate you.”

“You don’t and I don’t hate you either,” Bellatrix said, grinning at the fierce look being shot her way. “Shall we go home?”

“You are really coming to my Muggle home? When you can’t call me anything but Muddy?”

“I respect soul bonds,” she said, quietly. 

“Why should I even let you in my house?”

“You couldn’t keep me out?”

“The trace is off.”

Bellatrix grinned. “You think you can keep me out?” She almost wanted the girl to try just so she could see how she worked wards. It would teach her a quite bit about her witch. “I’m not going to lie, I’d love to see what you concoct against me, but I’d rather spend some time with my soulmate.”

Hermione looked back at her parents watching them curiously and back at her witch. 

She arched her eyebrow. “You are willing to spend time in a Muggle home?”

“You are Muggleborn, right?” Bellatrix said, casually. “Stands to reason, I’ll have to get used to the… at least some Muggles.”

“You are a blood purist.”

Bellatrix sighed. “I’m a Traditionalist. Blood purity. It’s complicated and not really a conversation to have at Kings Cross.”

“What does ... he think?”

“I didn’t tell him about you yet. He thinks I’m researching the prophecy.”

“Dumbledore already knew the prophecy. He was the witness.”

“Makes for a different game hmm?” Hermione studied her face and nodded. 

“Let’s get back to my parents. Best behavior?” Hermione asked.

Bellatrix shrugged and Hermione’s glare had her agreeing. She really hoped this soulmate thing was worth all of this. Following her witch back to her parents, gave her a great view of her ass in her tight muggle pants. It was probably worth it. 

******

The car ride back to the Granger’s home had been completely terrifying. Deeply embarrassing, but she learned an important lesson. Muggles are ready to die at any point. They literally get into metal death machines and tempt fate EVERY DAY. WITHOUT MAGIC. Her witch’s amusement didn’t help, but she didn’t let go of the hand offered her. 

Bellatrix entered her Muggleborn soulmate’s childhood home for the second time with some trepidation. Everything had been upended so fast and furious and she hadn’t paid much attention the first time she’d been there. Her agreement to be on her best behavior didn’t stop her from walking around the living room picking up trinkets and photos. They worked around her as she took in her surroundings. None of the photos moved. 

Bellatrix looked at her arm. The Dark Lord had been outed as being alive just days ago, but he trusted her to be researching the prophecy so she was being left out of the planning. She wasn’t sure anymore what she’d do when he needed her. She’d need to play it carefully. Black and white, she pondered. If that was all there was she’d be on the black side, but grey was starting to look more and more appealing. Even if she was a monster. 

She still needed to talk to Andromeda. Perhaps her little witch would come along. Might save her from a few hexes. She seemed acquainted with Andy’s daughter. 

With a shake of her curls, she continued her examination of the room. There was a box with a glass front and a mess of cords coming out of the back sitting in front of the chairs she couldn’t see the point of. It was clearly the focus of the room. Hermione’s father noticed her interest and pushed a button on a black handheld device with a wry smile. She couldn’t hide her jump as it came to life like a portrait. There was a Muggle news report playing and Bellatrix sat in front of it entranced. 

Hermione found her studying it up close after she sent her trunk up to her room with a wave of her wand to her father’s delight. 

“Muggles aren’t entirely useless,” Bellatrix said, quietly, looking up at her with a vulnerable look. “I’ve been in prison for 14 years and when I got out I found we haven’t really progressed, but the Muggles...”

“They had this before you went to prison,” Hermione said, carefully. 

Bellatrix blinked at her and then sighed. “I doubt it would be this advanced if they didn’t.”

“Yep. It was black and white for a time. Will you eat dinner with me and my family?”

She smiled tightly at her soulmate. “Of course, dinner would be lovely.”

“Will it?” Hermione asking, cautiously. 

“Muddy, I said I was fucking trying. Do not test me,” Bellatrix said, “You don’t know what I’m willing to do for you.”

“I don’t think you know that yet either,” Hermione said, stepping closer. Her hand reached out for her cheek. “Honestly, I don’t know either.” Bellatrix let her palm her cheek. It was a bit annoying her soulmate was taller than her. She leaned into the touch almost against her will, but she couldn’t drag herself away from the comfort. This was starting to feel a bit overwhelming. She had only been out of Azkaban a few months and such a simple thing felt a bit too much. 

“You have no idea what I want to do to you,” Bellatrix said with a salacious smirk, trying to upend the intimacy with a bit of lewdness. 

But Hermione just laughed. “You are my soulmate so actually I think I’d enjoy it.” She smiled coyly. “I don’t think I’d mind a bit of pain and....” The girl looked away before breathing out a soft sigh., “restraints.”

“Fuck.” Her hands clenched tight. She wanted the girl and Merlin, the images that response had just planted in her head. Fuck. 

“Dinner is ready,” called Hermione’s mother. 

Fuck, indeed. She had to play family. Getting the idea of Hermione strung up in the most perfect way was near impossible to get out of her head knowing Hermione would be willing. The girl took her hand and pulled her into the muggle dining room. She couldn’t help but appreciate what the girl had done. Having dirty thoughts swirling in her head during dinner was an improvement over the feelings of vulnerability she’d just been having. 

*******

Bellatrix was on her best behavior. The food tasted rather better than she expected. Muggles were apparently at least on par with house elves. 

“So, what do you do for a living?” Hermione’s father asked. She caught Hermione’s eyes widen with alarm. 

“I actually inherited quite a large sum from my family, but I became a soldier. I wanted to serve a cause,” she said. “I was captured and held as a prisoner of war for nearly 15 years. I recently escaped. Hence my fame,” Bellatrix said, smugly smiling at the affronted Gryffindor. “What do you do for a living?” 

“We run a dental practice down the lane,” Hermione’s mother said. 

“Dental practice?” Bellatrix said, tilting her head. 

“We are dentists,” her dad said. 

“She doesn’t know what dentists are, dad,” Hermione jumped in. “The wizarding world has potions, etc for that kind of thing.”

“Then why hasn’t she...” Hermione’s mom started to say. 

“Did prisoner of war escape your attention?” Hermione interrupted. Her mother shut her mouth. 

“What do dentists do?” Bellatrix asked. 

Both parents looked at Hermione, seemingly afraid of answering and upsetting either of them. 

“They care for Muggles’ teeth. Muggles don’t have potions to repair damage to them so they use Muggle methods to fix and save teeth.” 

Suddenly, their staring at her teeth when they first met made a whole lot more sense. She couldn’t help the flush that overtook her face. There hadn’t been a lot of time to worry over her appearance. Cissy had been much more interested in getting her body weight back than fixing her teeth. They worked just fine after all though one in the back felt a little off. 

The Grangers looked thoroughly embarrassed by the whole affair and it helped keep her from murmuring about how she’d meant to take the potions. It really hadn’t been much of a concern with all that had been happening. It, also,happened to be painful as fuck. 

“I’d offer my services, but I imagine the potions would be better suited to your taste than having my hands in your mouth with a drill,” Hermione’s father said. She couldn’t help, but burst into a wild cackle. A Muggle offering her assistance. She knew this was going to be strange, but she never expected this. She didn’t know what a drill was in terms of teeth, but Merlin, it was all so humorous. 

Thankfully, the Grangers didn’t look angry at her and even her little Mudblood seemed amused. 

“Some of the mouths I’ve had to deal with... even if it would ruin my career, I don’t think I would mind a potion or two,” Hermione’s father said. 

Hermione grinned. “I could slip you a few potions and then poof.” 

Her parents laughed. “That would certainly be hard to explain.”

“You wouldn’t want to take advantage of your daughter’s magic?” Bellatrix asked. 

“Of course not. I mean if it was easier for the patients, I’d be interested, but our methods work and I’d prefer Hermione safe and not under government scrutiny.”

Bellatrix’s face twisted. “But, don’t you covet magic?”

“Of course not,” Hermione’s father said, outraged. 

Hermione’s mother laid a hand on her husband’s. “I did a little. This oaf didn’t. He was too proud and amazed at his daughter. It’s one of his best qualities.” Bellatrix snorted. 

“I was bewildered at first, but so many things started making sense. We learned about accidental magic. Might have been more useful when we were new parents and she always managed to have a book in her crib and all her daring escapes.” Hermione flushed deeply at that. “I admit I was jealous that this whole other word of wonder existed and I truly be a part of it, but then I realized I would through Hermione.”

Bellatrix took a bite of her food finding herself very in the thrall of this Muggle woman. “I doubt you can imagine what magic means to us on the other side, but perhaps your ask about envy means you have the slightest idea,” she continued. 

“You tried to kill us off,” Bellatrix said, around a mouthful of food. “Easy to get an idea.”

“From what Hermione has said, some in your society tried to do the reverse rather recently,” Hermione’s father tossed in. 

Hermione raised her hand between them, halting Bellatrix’s retort. “Stop. Please.” She took a deep breath. “Let’s not talk politics at dinner.”

Hermione’s father looked sheepish. Bellatrix simply took another bite of food. 

Conversation after that focused more on Hermione and her studies and her 5th year. Merlin, did her little witch hated that toad Umbridge. Only when she explained the woman’s idea of punishment, did Bellatrix’s head snap up. She seized her witch’s arm pulling up the sleeve and sighed at the unmarred skin. 

“I had a couple near misses. I was worried I’d have ‘I will not be a insufferable know it all’ scar, but thankfully Professor Snape doesn’t use such barbaric methods of punishment,” Hermione said, with a laugh. Bellatrix ran a thumb over the sensitive flesh of her arm down to her wrist, making her shiver. 

“I’d had killed both of them,” she said softly. Her mother’s eyes narrowed slightly, but her dad seemed to agree. 

After they finished, her mother handed her a bottle of wine. “We’ll be out in the garden with our own if you need anything,” she said, pressing a kiss onto Hermione’s head, not caring if it made her daughter look like a child in front of her soulmate. Her daughter was still a child to her and it wouldn’t hurt the older woman to see it. 

Hermione led her back to the mundane living room. Bellatrix’s eyes fell back on the “telly” and Hermione smiled faintly. 

“Is this the part where we talk about our feelings?” Bellatrix asked, sneering at the word feelings. “If so I’m going to need something a bit stronger.” She waved her wand and a bottle of firewhiskey appeared in her hand. 

With a chuckle, Hermione shook her head. “I think it’s a bit too early for that kind of conversation. I have something different in mind that I think you will enjoy, but feel free to imbibe whatever you choose.” 

“Oh, and what does Muddy have in mind? More of this telly device?” Bellatrix asked, leaning forward attempting a skeptical look. The muggle device did intrigue her a bit. 

“Sorta,” she said, taking a sip of her wine before moving over to the device and pulling out another box from the cabinet underneath. It had two things attached by cords. “Probably a stupid question, but you ever heard of video games?” Bellatrix simply raised an eyebrow. 

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. They are muggle games you play through the television.” She lifted one of the things attached by cord to the box and said, “You use these to control your character. They are called controllers.”

“Inspired naming,” Bellatrix drawled, squinting at the weird muggle contraption. 

Hermione rolled her eyes. “Like wizards are much better. Anyway, I think I’ll just show you first and see if you are interested. I don’t think my rambling would do it much justice.” She pushed something into the top of the box and pushed some buttons before picking up the controller. “This is one of my dad’s favorite, but my mom doesn’t like it too much because... well, you’ll see.”

Nonsense words showed on the screen for a second before a logo appeared and some scantily clad buff man in bits of armor came out and said, “You weak pathetic fool,” to it. Bellatrix’s eyes widened. A large man with many arms came out and roared and then proceeded to stomp the logo. The first man said smugly, “All too easy.”

Bellatrix set the bottle of firewhiskey down on the floor and watched as Hermione set up a tournament, picking a character called Scorpion. The backstory was odd, but interesting. Chaos and death tournaments. 

“Why is combat spelled with a K?”

“Aesthetics.” 

Bellatrix snorted. 

Her witch’s first opponent was a hideous creature with a mouthful of large sharp teeth called Baraka. He had large knives that extended out of his hands. “It starts pretty easy and gets progressively harder,” Hermione said, as her kick sent blood flying from her foe. She handily defeated the creature in the first round with little damage, but plenty of blood. 

The second round started and went similarly until after she defeated Baraka and he swayed on his feet, the announcer boomed, “FINISH HIM.” Hermione sent Bellatrix a smirk and proceeded to slit his throat and then cut him in half. 

Scorpion wins. FATALITY dripping in blood showed on the screen as Hermione’s character stood proudly, hands on his hips. Bellatrix slid off the couch and joined Hermione on the floor. 

“Oh, Muddy. I knew Muggles were barbaric, but this is something else.” 

Hermione laughed and tossed her a booklet, trying not to look too smug. “It has the instructions and the buttons to push for the moves.”

She proceeded to rip off her mask at the end of the next battle and blow fire onto her opponent causing him to explode into a mess of bloody bones. The comment given was “Toasty.” 

Hermione grinned at her and she grinned back. Best Mudblood ever.


	4. Chapter 4

To Hermione’s delight, Bellatrix liked to stand as she played and often the tip of her tongue peeked out as she focused on the game. After a few rounds of practice against Hermione, she played her own tournament. 

Watching the complete focus of her soulmate made her feel warm all over. It could have been the wine she sipped as well, but she knew it was mostly the woman in front of her, yelling at the screen. 

A month ago, she’d never in a million years think cute an apt term for the woman that cursed the Longbottoms into insanity. She pinched the brim of her nose and sighed. 

Her dad stopped in before heading for bed and had a ferocious bout with Bellatrix. She suspected her dad let her soulmate win, but she’d never say it aloud. Bellatrix looked too pleased with herself to notice her dad’s slight smile. She really loved her parents. 

After a bit, she got Bellatrix to try a few more games. The car one made her very uncomfortable knowing she’d been in one. The video games (and the wine) made Bellatrix more open to listening to how the Muggle world worked. 

The firewhiskey had been left untouched and her mom had eyed it when her dad had come to play. It disappeared when they did and she suspected her mother took it with her. 

Eventually, the two of them ended up leaning against the edge of the couch with some infomercial playing as they sipped the remainders of their second bottle of wine. They had been drunkenly discussing theories of magic in regards to the new Muggle discoveries and how they would work. 

Bellatrix broke from the conversation and let out a large sigh. “Why are you smarter than every one of the Dark Lord’s followers?” 

“Inbreeding?” Hermione said, letting her head fall back onto the couch. “Please don’t curse me for that,” she groaned. 

“Keeping magical blood pure makes sense though.”

Hermione snorted. “Based on what? Bullshit paid for by purebloods? Muggles know more about the human body than the Wizarding world can even dream about. Their studies have shown that we are made up of parts of our parents.” She rubbed her head. “Fucking hell. You don’t even know what DNA is or genes. Let’s just say the more different the parents makes the stronger and more adaptable the children,” Hermione said, confidently.

Before Azkaban, she could hold her drink, but now she was feeling a bit fuzzy. “What?”

Hermione sighed. “Purebloods are producing the majority of squibs, aren’t they? I don’t have any numbers. It’s just an educated guess, but it makes sense.”

“It does not make sense!”

“It does. The Muggle royalty tried to keep the blood pure and ended up with a lot of insanity and deformity. Humans whether magical or mundane need diverse genes to propagate in a healthy way.”

“What are these genes you are talking about? I assume they have nothing to do with the pants you were wearing earlier.”

“Like them did you?” She smiled before she covered her face. “I’ve never drank this much wine.” She blew out a breath. “When procreating we share a bit of ourselves called DNA and hence they look a bit like you and your partner. If the partner shares too much that’s the same, it goes wrong. At best squibs, at worst death.” She ran her hand over her face. 

“I can give you a proper rant tomorrow. Diversity is good is the gist.” She stood awkwardly and went to the bookshelf on the wall. After squinting a bit, she pulled out a book. “Here. Read this,” she said, tossing it onto Bellatrix’s lap. She swayed in place. “I don’t think I should sit. I don’t think I will get up again. We should probably head to bed unless you want to sleep down here.”

Bellatrix looked at the book blearily, but she was clearly in no position to even contemplate opening it and the word bed mattered more to her at the moment. She put the book on the coffee table and offered a hand to her witch who laughed before planting her feet firmly and hoisting Bellatrix up. Bellatrix let herself fall shamelessly into her witch’s arms. They nearly fell, but it was worth it. 

They made it up the stairs with some fumbles and giggles. “Where am I sleeping?” Bellatrix asked when she only counted enough for Hermione’s room, her parents and a bathroom and maybe a closet. 

“With me.”

“And I’m to keep my hands off you?” 

“Will you be able to keep your eyes open?” Hermione refuted as she opened the door and turned on the light. With a quick flick of her wand, she was in short shorts and a muggle tee shirt. “Your case is over there if you want to do it the Muggle way,” she said, with a smirk before climbing into her bed and pulling the covers over her. “The light will turn off in 5 minutes.”

Bellatrix contemplated just climbing in nude to shock her little soulmate, but could already imagine the wake up from the in laws. Best behavior, she reminded herself. They were letting her sleep in here after all and she appreciated that, even if her pureblood sensibilities were saying it was inappropriate. Being able to sleep next to Hermione was a blessing she never thought she’d be granted.

With a heavy sigh, she conjured one of the nighties from her trunk. It left her legs delightfully bare and would allow her to feel her witch’s legs entwined with hers. She climbed into the bed and immediately Hermione pressed back into her. She may be shorter, but her witch clearly wanted to be wrapped up in her and how could she refuse that. The touch of bare skin to bare skin relaxed her to a degree she didn’t think she’d ever known. Sleep came easier than it ever had in the entirety of her life. She took a deep breath of her witch’s scent and slept. 

******

Hermione woke first and found Bellatrix half on top of her. She was on her back and the Death Eater had an arm under and around her neck, their legs were completely twisted together, and, well, her own hand rested upon a full breast. She just resisted squeezing and contented herself to just enjoy the weight and firmness under her hand for a moment even if she felt a bit pervy. 

A soft knock startled her out of study. Her mother peeked her head in as she quickly removed her hand. Sharp eyes took in the scene and her mother’s lips turned up ever so slightly. She entered silently and left an aspirin and big glass of water on Bellatrix’s side of the bed. 

As she returned to the door, she stopped and said, “If you can manage to escape... well... that. I’d love to have breakfast with my daughter.” She chuckled. “I’ll understand either way,” she said, with a wink.

“Where’s my water?” she asked. 

“She’ll need it more than you. You can have some orange juice with me,” her mom said as she shut the door. 

“Rude.”

“I like her,” Bellatrix murmured into her chest. 

“Does that mean you are going to let me go?”

“No.” Bellatrix held onto her tighter. 

“So, so rude.” Hermione groaned, shaking her sorry head. 

“You are warm and my head hurts.”

“My mom brought you something to help, but you only get it if you let me go.”

“She doesn’t have hangover potions so you are the best I got.”

“You said you’d try Muggle ways and my head hurts, too.”

Bellatrix groaned. “Fine, but if it doesn’t work I can stay in here for the rest of the day.” 

“Done.”

“Meals in bed?”

Hermione snorted. “Fine, you baby.” 

“You love me,” Bellatrix said, releasing her and with a pathetic groan turned toward the side table with the tablets and water. “What do I do with those?”

“Swallow with the water. Don’t chew them.”

Bellatrix grimaced, but did as she was told. “Tasted better than the hangover potion at least,” Bellatrix said, as she reclined back on the bed. “No immediate effect though.”

“Muggles tend to prioritize taste to be honest. Also, you aren’t supposed to have the tablets in your mouth long enough to taste them.”

“I’m liking Muggles more by the day. There’s nothing more dreadful than the slime of a nasty potion lingering on your tongue. I do enjoy the immediate relief though.”

“Get a bit more sleep. I’m going to have breakfast with my mum. My dad will probably wake when you do.” She kissed her hungover witch on the forehead. A pout formed on the older witch’s face and she leaned in and pressed her lips to her soulmate’s. It sent electricity through both of them and they both gasped. Hermione pulled back in shock and stared down into the smug heavily lidded eyes of her soulmate. 

“You do love me,” Bellatrix said, feeling a contentment that she never imagined flood her system.

Hermione pulled back. “You’re insufferable.”

“I’m a monster, but one made especially for you,” Bellatrix said, sleepily before rolling away from Hermione’s eyes. That contentment she felt had her feeling more safe that she ever had and sleep was beyond easy for her suddenly. 

The word Monster rang in Hermione’s head. She closed her eyes for a moment in guilt before stepping back and exiting the room. Bellatrix had said it without any spite, but all Hermione could think of was the years with the brand she left her soulmate with. 

She knew her mum was expecting the full story when she went down the stairs. How would her mom react to having a war criminal that hated their kind in her daughter’s bed? How would she feel about Hermione after knowing what she cursed the woman with? She hadn’t a clue how to even start. 

As she walked down the stairs, she looked at the pictures of them that hung on the wall. When she had read about the house systems, she immediately put her dad in Hufflepuff and all too quickly, her mother in Slytherin. It occurred to her suddenly that knowing her mother, she probably knew or at least suspected it all. Her mother had always seemed to know everything. She wouldn’t put it past her so have somehow gotten the inside scoop on things. It made her feel better. 

Her father couldn’t be called stupid, but he often missed foreshadowing by a wide margin when his wife never did. When Hermione was younger, her mother would lean in and say it’s clearly the neighbor or so and so during the Midsomer Murder Mysteries episodes they would all watch together. It got Hermione paying more attention to the details so she could see what her mother saw. It was fun to watch her dad guess so wildly as she shared the secret with her mother. He hated to be spoiled, but she liked knowing. 

Bellatrix would probably hate being spoiled, she thought as she came round into the kitchen. Her mother had a fry up ready for her. 

“You made better time than I expected,” her mother said. 

“The fact my breakfast is ready at the exact moment I arrived begs to differ.”

“Could have been mine,” her mother shot back. 

“Yours is already in the oven keeping warm,” Hermione said, eying the oven light. 

“So it is,” she said, with a wink, pulling it out and joining her daughter at the table. 

Hermione kept her eyes on her meal as she fought her mild hangover with the greasy food. She could feel her mom calmly watching her. 

As she placed her fork down, she let out a sigh. “How much do you already know and can I ask how?”

“Molly Weasley is lovely woman. Quite prone to gossip.”

“Molly? But how? Ronald still can’t use the telephone.”

“You really thought I’d just allow you to spend so much time with a family I knew little to nothing about? Honestly, dear, you know me better than that, especially with all the shenanigans you, Harry, and Ron get into. It didn’t hurt she was feeling a bit empty nest when her youngest Ginerva went off to Hogwarts. We started meeting regularly.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I liked hearing it all from you. I knew you would hide certain things, but I wanted to know them anyway. You would rant about the stupidity of blood purity and I’d hear all the politics of it from Molly. She has some of her own she needs to work on, I think.”

“Is this why you never let me invite Harry or Ron on our trips?”

Her mother let out a hard, angry sigh. “Not quite. After hearing the horrible things you said about Harry’s living conditions, by your 3rd year we had readied a case with a lawyer to call Child Protective Services and take him in as our own, but Molly convinced me that he wouldn’t be safe with us. Your headmaster himself showed up the next day after I told her and he said it would put all of us in grave danger. He said we couldn’t even take him on vacation with us because we didn’t have magic. I tried to insist on being able to go talk to the Dursley’s but he said he’d erase my memories before he’d let that happen. I was quite incensed, but what could I do?” she said, looking at Hermione, sadly. “All this nonsense about blood magic.”

“Dumbledore has his reasons. Blood magic would make some awful kind of sense,” Hermione said, frowning. The protection would be absolute, but she didn’t think she could justify the cost on Harry. 

“You know I’d have loved to give those Dursley’s a bit of my mind. They can act all disgusted over wizarding folk but I’d love to see them try that with me and your dad. We know the type and how to handle them.”

Hermione smiled faintly at the idea. “I’d have paid to see it.”

“At least your headmaster didn’t mind wipe us. That I know of... I might have decided at some point to say screw his rules. I can’t say. Your father was just as ready to fight for the boy as I was. I agreed in the end. Mostly, because I knew he get a few weeks with the Weasleys and well, with you.” 

Hermione pushed back her chair and hugged her mom. “I wish he could have been here with us. It’s wrong. Harry never deserved what he has to suffer every summer.”

“It’s wrong, but he’s alive and so are we,” she said into her daughter’s hair. She ran her hand through the mess of curls and frizz. “So now that we’ve addressed that are you ready to talk about the Death Eater in your bed?” she asked. Hermione tensed and then burst into tears. 

Jean Granger had been prepared for this. It was one of the reasons she waited until her daughter was already in her arms. She pulled her grown daughter onto her lap and held her as she cried. Bellatrix hadn’t shown them their daughter’s response, but knowing her daughter it couldn’t have been good in the face of a woman from her nightmares. 

Molly had shared the story of the escapees during one of their meetings. Bellatrix Lestrange had stood out to her for some reason beyond being one of the only women escapees and one of the most notorious. Something about her had caught her attention.

It made sense when the woman approached her and her husband months later. She thought she was about to die and instead found out an even more insane reality. Soulmates with her daughter. Hermione’s response at the train station was basically how she had felt about the whole thing (hysterical), but she kept it in check and listened. 

“I said horrible things, mom. I branded her with a horrible thing. I branded her a monster.”

She figured as much. She ran her hand through her daughter’s bed head hair and another over her spine. “I don’t blame you. What did you say?”

“It can’t be you. You’re a monster,” Hermione said, hanging her head. 

Jean Granger pulled her daughter closer. “You did nothing wrong saying that. All you knew of her were the atrocities put to her name. Fate is a mess and it does put free will in question, but you didn’t do anything wrong. You can’t help words that she’s had on her for decades. She made her choices to be the monster that made those word come out of your mouth.”

“How are you okay with someone that wanted us dead a couple of weeks ago sleeping peacefully in my bed upstairs?”

“Watching her play video games and, well, seeing her with you. She is your soulmate and she’s willing to set aside prejudice for that. I’m sure plenty murdered theirs because their prejudice mattered more. She’s already decided you matter more than her prejudice. I respect that.”

“She’s...”

“Your soulmate.” Her mom laughed. Hermione gathered herself and climbed off her mother and sat on the seat next to her. 

“You know, I hated your father even pretty much knowing he was my soulmate,” her mother said with a laugh. 

“What?” Hermione said. 

“I think we have a bit of a type. Headstrong, intelligent, passionate, loyal and really into watching people die horrifically.” She shook her head. “I love you, Hermione. Always and forever. Her choosing you means I will accept her.” She let out a laugh. “She really does remind me of your father.”

Hermione frowned. “I find that to be a very strange comparison.”

Her mother laughed again. “I think I know more about her than you do. Molly went to school with her and her sisters.” Her mother sat up straighter. “Do you know why you never met your father’s dad?”

“Neither of you said but my aunts called him a piece of garbage that I was better off not knowing.”

Her mom laughed. “Well, that’s fitting enough,” she said, looking away with a grimace. She knew her husband didn’t want Hermione to know she had someone so awful in her family, but Hermione needed to know.

“Your father was the eldest and when he was old enough while he worked through dental school he got your aunts under his guardianship. He got them away from his dad and kept them in school and fed. Your grandma had died under mysterious circumstances and well. They weren’t really all that mysterious.”

“Oh.”

“Your dad was so annoying, but then I got to see under the veil and I fell in love with a man that was so incredible I couldn’t believe it at first. He was worked to the bone, but all his money went to his sisters. I started to bring him lunch under the guise of having too much and he tried to pay me! His sisters had heard me from him and eventually told me the truth. They only survived because of him.”

“I wish I could,” came a voice from the doorway, “been that for my sisters.” 

Hermione startled at the voice and caught the terrible vulnerability on Bellatrix’s face. 

Her mother didn’t even bother to look up. “The muggle world can often be very difficult. Sometimes it’s just good fortune and sometimes as a dental apprentice you have more clout than a convicted abuser and suspected murderer. I imagine money is just as or more important in such cases in the wizarding world.” Hermione’s mom stood and approached the hungover witch. She grasped her shoulder and Hermione was shocked to see Bellatrix relax into it instead of flinching. “Do not blame yourself, dear. Too much is fucked up beyond recognition and too much is put on children. You were a child. Now have some bacon while I go wake the man of the house.”

Bellatrix nodded in a bit of a haze and Hermione stood to guide her to the table. 

“Did the aspirin help?”

Bellatrix frowned. “Surprisingly, yes.” 

Hermione helped her pick out food as her mother went to check on her dad. 

As Bellatrix picked at her food, she found herself in a weird mood. She had walked into a conversation that seemed tailor made for her; but knew it wasn’t. It helped her decide to broach the subject of her sister with Hermione.

“Will you go with me to see my sister?” she asked, taking a bit of a strip of bacon. 

Hermione blinked at her before saying, “I don’t know how Narcissa Malloy will feel about me. She’s been rather clear in the past...”

“No. Not Narcissa,” she said, shaking her head. “Andromeda.” 

“Andromeda?”

Bellatrix let out a sigh. “Your friend Nymphadora’s mother. She’s my sister. She was cast out of the family for marrying her muggleborn soulmate.”

“Oh.” Hermione’s mind whirled at the idea. 

“My father wanted to hunt her down and kill her and her soulmate for sullying our blood, but I argued that if Sirius could just be burned off, she could as well. A man could spread and sully the bloodline much faster than a woman.” Bellatrix looked away, remembering how much fighting for Andy had cost her. It had taken the Dark Lord’s support. He was against spilling pure blood so he supported her, but nothing he did came for free and it had a cost. 

“You loved her,” Hermione said, sadly. 

“I love her,” Bellatrix said, passionately. “I never stopped. I may have hated her a bit, but I imagine that it’s hard to understand as an only child.”

Hermione nodded. “I always wished for siblings. I never got the whole thing where someone could cruelly insult their brother or sister and then be ready to destroy someone echoing their own words. I mean I kind of understood it with Ron, but I highly doubt it’s the same.”

Bellatrix smiled sadly. “We weren’t like that really. I mean everyone knew not to insult my sisters, but our insults weren’t really insults. They were playful teases. We were never cruel or mean spirited.” Bellatrix sighed and pushed her plate away from her. Her appetite had abandoned her. 

“Andromeda spent so much time trying to convince me I wasn’t a monster when the tattoo came.” Hermione couldn’t help the anguished noise that escaped her throat. Bellatrix held up a hand. “Don’t apologize. I made my choices. You did what you were fated to do before you were even born. Leaves us with a lot of questions about free will, hmm?”

Hermione blinked back tears. “Yeah. Fate is a hateful fucking monster.”

Bellatrix laughed. “Indeed. Will you go with me though? It would probably help if you talked to her daughter before hand and maybe got her to come as well. I might get hexed into oblivion otherwise. I might anyway. Andy was always skilled with a wand and I won’t... can’t fight back. I don’t deserve to at this point.”

“I won’t let her hurt you,” Hermione said, thinking about how she’d handle Tonks. It wouldn’t be easy by any means, but she knew she could make it work. 

“She deserves to hurt me like I hurt her.”

“No. Pain doesn’t need to beget more pain.”

Unfortunately, her father appeared quite awake right at that moment and all serious talk was tabled for the moment when all Hermione wanted to do was grab her witch and bring her back upstairs and hold her for hours. 

She settled for pushing the food back at Bellatrix and putting her hand on her knee as she moved over to her side of the table as her dad settled in. Bellatrix’s hand settled over hers as her other picked up the fork. 

*******

Her hopes of continuing the conversation dwindled when she found out her parents had taken a few days off to welcome her home. They had plans and they now included a pureblood well out of her element. 

Bellatrix handled it better than she expected that day as they were dragged to a picnic in Sherwood Forest. She mostly had a wide eyed stare and a tight grip on her wand especially in the car. She’d never admit it to anyone, except maybe Harry, but she loved seeing a pureblood so out of their element. She felt seriously tempted to ask her parents to take them to Paris for a weekend trip just as an excuse to drag Bellatrix to Disney. She wasn’t truly that cruel though, really. Neville would about die seeing Bellatrix in Mickey Mouse ears and that might have made it worth it. 

Her dad dropped them off at home before he ran out for takeaway and with a promise of a surprise he was sure Bellatrix would love. They were all nervous about that. 

The bottle of Firewhiskey Bellatrix conjured the night before made an appearance and Jean Granger took the challenge as Hermione sat back, watching, sipping wine like a civilized person. 

Her mother took a sip and her eyes widened. A soft, “Oh,” escaped her lips. A grin split her face as she took another sip. “Wow.” 

Bellatrix took a hearty gulp and raised her glass. “To the first muggle I’ve shared a glass with and at the same time my own liquor.”

Hermione raised her wine glass. Bellatrix snatched it from her and put it on the table. “Salute your mother properly.” She conjured another glass and poured a small measure of the whiskey for her. 

Needless to say, they were all feeling quite lovely when her dad walked in with bags of takeaway and a bag from Blockbuster Video. 

Her mom even deigned to let them eat in the living room while watching the movie. Real plates and silverware were still a necessity and Hermione left to grab them while Bellatrix followed a bit like a puppy. 

“How is this so easy?” Bellatrix asked, wrapping her arms around her. 

“Soulmate magic?”

“Maybe?” 

“You trust magic with most of your life. Soul mate magic is supposed to put you where you belong. You belong with me.” Hermione put down the plates. “You are mine and it’s an extra benefit if you like my family.”

“I mean they are crazy, but yes I think I like them. For Muggles.”

“You might want to reserve judgement until after the movie.” 

“What’s a movie?” 

Hermione opened her mouth to explain when Bellatrix kissed her sweetly. 

“You are cute when you ramble an explanation, but I don’t think we have time for that right now. Let’s go see this movie and eat quite uncivilized.” 

Her dad had of course rented the Mortal Kombat movie that came out while she was in school. Bellatrix and her father both got way too invested and as they watched and ate. Her dad had convinced Bellatrix to try his hideous beer and she loved it.

Hermione ate her food smirking at their antics. As the movie wore on, Hermione collected their plates and brought them into the kitchen. She smiled as a bit of quick magic cleaned them and had then in their proper places. 

She returned to the living room smiling. Her mother offered her an arm and she snuggled up into her mother’s arms on the sofa. Jean Granger relaxed, having her daughter safe in her arms as they watched their soulmates banter. 

Hermione laid her head on her mom’s shoulder and realized then that regardless of how her meeting with Tonks went, her mom would have to come with her and Bellatrix when they met with Andromeda Tonks.


	5. Chapter 5

Bellatrix stared at the ceiling of Hermione’s bedroom, listening to her soulmate’s breathing. Her stay at the Granger’s would end in the morning. It was well past midnight and officially August 1st.

It was hard to believe it was actually August, already. The months had passed much too fast. 

Hermione’s parents had gone back to work a couple days after they had arrived and she’d gotten her witch mostly to herself. At first, it had involved a fair amount of snogging on the couch as well as debating magical theory and fighting about politics. 

By the evening of the first day Hermione’s parents were back to work, she had enchanted one of Hermione’s bookshelves to be attached to her own library so she didn’t need an elf every time she needed a book to justify a claim. Merlin, the lecture on house elves. She near about freed them all but the whole household of elves had appeared before her and Hermione and begged not to be freed. She had shrugged and worked with an elf to enchant her bookshelf as Hermione watched every flick of wand. 

Her witch had a voracious appetite for knowledge and dear Merlin, while she was just as sharp as she’d always been, she’d only been out of Azkaban for a few months and had 14 years of academic journals to go through. 

Just because she had a life sentence didn’t mean she’d let her subscriptions lapse or her library be incomplete. 

She was loving every minute of it really because even before Azkaban, the Dark Lord had been the only one close an equal. Hermione challenged her. It was so good. 

Hermione’s dad, Richard or if she pleased Rich or Rick had become a odd friend to her and her mother, Jean, somewhat of a mind healer. It was very, very odd, but in late hours of the night she would thank Hermione for her parents and for all of this. She liked them all very much and it weirdly worked. 

One Saturday morning early in her stay, Jean Granger declared she was stealing Bellatrix from Hermione for a bit because apparently her clothes were completely inappropriate and an embarrassment to the family. Hermione had tried to hide her amusement, but her eyes gave her away. A Muggle embarrassed to be seen with HER? It was absurd. 

She still ended up with a new wardrobe that Narcissa would absolutely despise courtesy of her soulmate’s mother. It had been terse and silent affair at first, but they came to an understanding. Her soulmate’s parents were really something.

Most feared witch of her time cowled by a Muggle. So very, very absurd. 

A few weeks in, she finally let Hermione take her out into the Muggle world to explore. She did have the right clothes for it now. 

They hadn’t gotten bored of each other, but Hermione desperately wanted to show her things. Her witch could explain things to death, but with what little Bellatrix really knew about the Muggle world especially in this day and age, a lot made little to no sense and she would never admit it, but she was curious. 

She had hoped she’d have Andromeda by her side to help, but they had both gotten a bit antsy about the idea. Andy and Tonks were an unknown element and well, really, there wasn’t a rush. So they decided together to just enjoy the summer together and Hermione’s parents were, thankfully, accepting of the situation. 

In the beginning of July, they went to France. She considered offering the villa she had there, but Rod still had access to it so it wasn’t truly an option. They went skiing and Hermione had bundled her in all kinds of winter wear she found outrageous and hindered her ability to master the sport. Bloody Muggles putting sticks on their feet. 

After the skiing fiasco, she had sat in a lodge full of Muggles without wanting to curse a single one as she sipped a hot chocolate with Hermione nestled against her side. Hermione’s mom ended up with a whip cream mustache that they all neglected to mention. It was so innocent and just nice. She hadn’t had anything close to this since she and her sisters were just girls and even then their happiness had been tainted by their parents’ expectations. This wasn’t that. It was just simply nice. 

It had been the most bewildering, but oddly fulfilling summer of her life. She felt content and dare she say it... happy in their little bubble. Narcissa had been writing her often with more and more desperation and she’d been sending vague responses. She did feel bad about that. 

The Dark Lord had left her to her devices for most of summer. Usually, she’d be at his feet begging for something to do, so she tried to add that kind of urgency to the owls she sent him, but thankfully, he didn’t request an audience. She hoped it was enough. It seemed weak. It was hard to get back that mindset of utter devotion when it was now directed at a much more worthy individual.

So afraid of the bubble bursting catastrophically, she even tried to rescind Hermione’s invitation to go with her to meet with Andromeda. She had thought involving her niece would be a good thing, but she actually felt afraid that it would backfire. Her niece had been mentored by Mad Eye Moody himself. She could see her agreeing to help only to have it be a sting operation where Bellatrix ended up getting a kiss from a dementor. Accidentally, of course, there were laws around soulmate bonds. 

If a dementor ate her soul, how would that affect Hermione who held the other half of her soul?They had argued about it until Hermione went looking for a book. They were both horrified by what they found and had ended up eating an entire chocolate cake together to stave off the persistent cold. Hermione had looked too horrified to be entirely humoring her as the ate the cake.

Bellatrix presented the idea of running off together again that night as they laid in bed together, wrapped in each other’s arms. She wove a wonderful dream scenario of convincing Cissy and Draco to join them as they fled to the Continent or even the Americas or Australia. 

Hermione had chuckled at the idea of them in Australia so she told her about her month spent there when she was 15 with her metamorphmagus Aunt Cassiopeia. That had been a wild trip. 

They might have really started talking about it seriously, if Hermione hadn’t received owls from the other members of the Golden Trio the very next day. The ginger one had found his soulmate. He felt better about lying and hiding Bellatrix which was a bit of a relief.

The Potter boy had been moved to the Weasleys by Dumbledore and he was scared. Ron was just too happy to humor him. Hermione was near a panic attack while Bellatrix tried to soothe her. Hermione would have been at the Weasleys had Bella not been to stay. 

Jean Granger had arrived a bit earlier than the owls and didn’t know what her daughter was dealing with. She had put on the wireless as she started dinner.

Bellatrix was trying to soothe Hermione when the ridiculous earworm of Muggle music, the Spice Girls’ hit Wannabe started playing. It had been incessant throughout the Muggle world. They’d both heard it more times than they’d like for a summer, but in that moment the lyrics actually registered for them and hit them harder than before. 

It broke Hermione out of her spiral. She looked wide eyed at Bellatrix who had a similar expression. They both burst into laughter. Hermione covered her mouth as she laughed. How could a pop song be so inane yet so apt? 

“Do you want my future? Have you forgot my past?” Bellatrix asked.

Hermione snorted. “Well, you made it fast.”

“I have to get with your friends,” Bellatrix said. “Potter seems kinda alright, but the Weasleys ugh.”

“So the song goes if you want to get with me and be my lover.”

Bellatrix groaned, but she couldn’t stop the grin that followed. “I don’t know what the ziggy zig zag is.”

Hermione laughed. “I have no idea either,” she said, tumbling into her love on the couch, giggling and kissing her breathless before her mom called them for dinner. 

“We’ll make it last forever,” Hermione said, holding her hand tight as she pulled her groaning, towards the dining room. 

“I think I’d give anything for that to be true,” she said too quiet for Hermione to hear. 

******

They managed to just keep putting off the reality of their return to the magical world until finally, Hermione got her letter with her list of school supplies. They knew it was time. It was past time. Bellatrix suggested running off again, even though she knew it was futile. 

Hermione set a meeting with Tonks to coincide with her trip to Diagon Alley for her school supplies and Bellatrix informed Narcissa she would be coming home. 

And so Bellatrix laid, staring at the ceiling. Terribly sad and terribly afraid. Both feelings she hadn’t really experienced in quite a long time. So she stared at the ceiling while her heart beat too fast I’m her chest. 

“You are thinking too hard,” Hermione grumbled into her chest.

“I am not,” Bellatrix said, with a pout even though she knew she was. 

“Then, why did my dream suddenly involve Tonks appearing and arresting you?”

“That must be your own doubts manifesting, love. My insecurities lie with a dementor at her back.” Hermione’s arms tightened around her and she couldn’t say that she minded. She ran a hand through the winsome curls of her love. “Go back to sleep. I’ll be here in the morning.”

Hermione grumbled into her chest before laying her head sideways and saying, “Are we making a mistake?” 

“We won’t know until it’s happened,” she said, pressing a kiss onto her witch’s forehead. “You know I have safe houses the Dark Lord doesn’t know about. I barely know about them. Your family will be safe even if you choose not to be.”

“This isn’t fair.”

Bellatrix let out a soft laugh. “You getting me as a soulmate wasn’t fair. Life isn’t fair, ” she said, stoking her bushy hair. “You deserve better.”

“Well, I only want you,” Hermione huffed. 

“The feeling is mutual.”

Hermione pressed her face hard against her chest again and didn’t say anything for a long moment. Bellatrix just held her close. She’d been trying to start to revert her mindset for tomorrow, but it was really quite impossible when every breath she took filled her with the scent of what she imagined Amortentia would smell like.

Her witch’s mind was whirling. She hated that she was finding contentment in just breathing while Hermione felt nothing but turmoil. There was some serendipity there. Monster. 

Tomorrow would be difficult for them both. Narcissa would know immediately that something had changed in her regardless of her occulmency. She’d have to tell her everything. She couldn’t imagine that going well. 

She’d been sent word that the Dark Lord had left the country for the week so she’d at least have some time to get back into the correct headspace for that meeting. It made it bit easier to lay there just breathing Hermione in. Had he been around she would have probably hidden away for a week to get herself together. 

Hermione was half splayed across her, but she suddenly shifted up and straddled her hips. The girl pushed her hair out of her face as she sat up. Her face in the moonlight looked decisive. 

Bellatrix reached out and took hold of her hips. She didn’t want to read too much into it, but really hoped it meant what it seemed to mean. She’d been very good at not taking things too far even when her witch seemed to want it. Hermione meant too much to her and she wanted Hermione to be the one to decide to take this further. 

Bellatrix reached out a hand and cupped Hermione’s face. She felt so very much in that moment that, “I love you,” slipped out of her mouth before she could even process the thought of saying it. It felt like a given at this point, but she’d never said it or expected to say it. Her face flushed as her brain reconnected to her mouth. 

Hermione let out a breath and smiled. 

“I love you, too,” she said, gazing down at her with unreadable eyes. Anyone else she’d try to see into their head, but not with Hermione. Never with her unless given permission. 

“I thought... I didn’t think you would ever say it well because... and I had resolved myself to never be hurt by it.” 

Hermione threw her head back and after a second she shook her head, her shoulders shaking with laughter and funny breathy noises coming from her nose. “And you said it first.” She shook her head and leaned back down. “You are too stupidly everything I’ve ever wanted and it both pisses me off and makes me really happy.” 

“You make me really happy, too,” Bellatrix said. She grimaced. It always felt like a bad omen to her to say she felt happy. It hadn’t worked out for her in the past and her situation with Hermione was quite tenuous. 

Hermione let out a large sigh as she sat back on Bellatrix’s lap again. Without a word, she pulled her t-shirt off and tossed it aside. Luck perhaps was on her side tonight. Hermione didn’t like wearing bras to sleep which had pleased and also displeased the witch because best behavior meant best behavior even if her hands ached to just slid up under the soft cotton and well. It had led to some hard put nights. Best behavior. 

Bellatrix licked her lips, eying the exposed chest in front of her. She bit her lip and looked up at Hermione with dark eyes. “I need you to tell me what you want.”

“You,” Hermione replied, “In every way.” She quickly cast a charm to keep the sounds from her room from being heard before putting her wand to the side.

“Thank Merlin,” Bellatrix sighed. Her head fell into the space between Hermione’s breasts. She raised her hand up and moved it under her head. Hermione’s pulse beat strong against her hand. Hermione glanced down at her and she smirked. “Just reminding myself,” she said. 

Her mouth and head had been given the go ahead and her lips moved over Hermione’s collarbone before exploring the curves of her breasts. She found enjoyment teasing her tongue around a stiff nipple. She let out a harsh breath on it before finally taking it between her lips and teeth. Hermione groaned her pleasure and she reveled in the moment. She couldn’t even describe how she felt in that moment even if she tried. 

Her other hand found the lovely feel of Hermione’s other breast and she shifted her leg to provide the girl some friction as her thumb found her nipple. 

“Have you done this before?” Hermione asked, breathing heavy, above her, with just the slightest hint of insecurity. 

Bellatrix grinned up at her and Hermione blushed. “I meant with a woman. I know you are married.” 

Bellatrix deftly flipped them. She leaned on one hand and pressed her head against Hermione’s. She let out a breath. “I never let my husband touch me. Neither the Dark Lord or I was interested in each other that way so that didn’t happen either. I’ve always been a witch’s witch so I have had a few witches,” she said, grinding her thigh into Hermione. Bellatrix suddenly sat back with wide eyes. “Have you?”

“Would it bother you?” Hermione asked, quirking an eyebrow. Bellatrix’s face shifted a bit at the thought and her body stiffened. Hermione didn’t want to ruin the moment, so quickly said, “I haven’t, but I wish I had more experience to make this good for you.”

Bellatrix relaxed and laid her entire body against hers. She let out a breathy relieved laugh. “I’m relieved I can’t deny that I’m glad no one has touched you, but me. I can’t decide if it’s just the possessive desire inside me wanting only me to have touched you or if I only want you to have known how it feels to be touched by someone that loves every inch of you.” 

“I don’t think it matters much,” Hermione said, with a groan, “especially right now. I need you. Now.”

The silk of Bellatrix’s nightgown felt nice against Hermione’s skin and she had loved feeling it against her skin over the last few month, but now it needed to be gone. It felt like too much. She wasted no time tugging on the ends and pulling it up. Bellatrix chuckled into her neck. 

“I love you,” Bella said, kissing her neck. “It gets easier to say, especially when you mean it,” she said, as her nightie was pulled over her head. 

“Are you really sure?” Bellatrix asked again as Hermione took in her battle worn body, naked to her for the first time. 

Hands soon trailed over her scars. Lips followed. “I could spend the night mapping your pain, but tonight I want you to take me. I’m yours. I don’t want to forget it in the morning. Make sure I remember. Mark me with you. Mark me with love and let me do the same.”

Bellatrix grinned mischievously. “Such pretty words.”

Hermione frowned at the words as a thought occurred to her. She glared at Bellatrix and said, “I love you very much, but I swear to god if you say FINISH HER before you make me come I will kill you in a more brutal fashion than any of those Mortal Kombat fatalities.” 

Bellatrix laughed and fell into Hermione. “I love you so much. I love you. I would never.” She thought for a second. “Okay, fair so very fair.” She pulled back to look at her a second before she dipped in and kissed her again. “I didn’t even think it, but that would have been ...no, yes, right wouldn’t have been funny. I love you too much. You are beyond my wildest dreams. I wouldn’t cheapen this,” she said, collecting herself and pressing against her lips. “You mean everything to me.”

Hermione trailed her fingers over her Dark Mark. “Don’t lie.”

She pressed her head against Hermione’s chest. “I’m not lying,” she said and Hermione could hear the sincerity. “You and your family have shown me more love and acceptance than I’ve ever known.”

Hermione let out a hard breath that sounded like a sob. “Make me yours.”

Bellatrix kissed her as she pulled down her pants. She leaned back until Hermione opened her eyes. Bellatrix stared down at her with her dark eyes. “You were mine from the moment you were born and even you branding a monster I was yours.”

Bellatrix swept in and kissed her witch until she had melted into the mattress. Bellatrix left her slowly. Kissing her neck and moving back to her mouth as her hands trailed up her sides. She finally bit down on her neck and sucked as her fingers found her nipple. Hermione arched into her thigh. Her hands grasped at Bellatrix’s back. 

Finally feeling skin against skin had her nearly undone, but the things Bellatrix was doing with her mouth had her finally without words. She just wanted to absorb Bellatrix into herself. 

Every touch felt like fire and it was too much and not enough. She felt Bellatrix’s mouth as it touched every inch of her body. Every scar and every part she hated or loved was touched by Bellatrix’s lips and she felt free. It felt like magic and love. It didn’t feel real until Bellatrix took hold of her leg and put it over her shoulder. Bellatrix kissed her thigh and looked up at her for permission. She was more exposed than she’d ever been before. She looked into Bellatrix’s eyes and nodded. 

The firm touch of her tongue sent electricity through her and she arched. Bellatrix reached out an arm to keep her steady. Her brain immediately jumped to, oh shit, will I make her feel this good? Bellatrix anticipated that and her free hand reached up and grabbed her breast, thumbing her nipple. 

Her tongue thrusted into her before coming back to curl around her clit. She released her breast and dove in for a moment before she leaned back still sensing the insecurity. 

“Today may be my day of reckoning if it all goes to shit, but, honestly, no matter how this day plays out, this is still going to be the best day of my life and I plan to make the good last as long as possible so trust me you’ll learn. You told me I was great teacher when I taught you apparition. I’ll be more than happy demonstrating different techniques on you as you come as many times as physically possible over the next few hours.”

Hermione sat up with a laugh and wrapped her arms around Bellatrix and pulled her close. She smiled. “I love you. I never thought I would laugh during sex.”

Her soulmate smiled. “I love you, too,” she said stroking Hermione’s thighs. “I think good sex involves laughter sometimes. Though I’ve never really experienced it. I won’t ever get mad if you laugh during,” she said, sliding her hand back between Hermione’s thighs. “Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

Bellatrix pushed her onto her back and kissed her deeply as her finger slid into her. She hooked it up as she pulled it back dragging a deep moan from Hermione. Her palm pressed against her clit as she started a series of slow shallow thrusts as she kept kissing Hermione. 

Neither could keep up kissing and soon Bellatrix was nipping at Hermione’s neck as she alternated between shallow and deep thrusts and swirling her soaked fingers over Hermione’s clit. 

Hermione’s mouth was pressed right against her ear and by far her moans and pants were the best noises she had ever heard in her life. She nearly came from the sound of Hermione moaning her name. She had to lift her hips off the girl’s thigh or she would have. 

The clenching of Hermione’s walls against her fingers as she came and the gasp that she let out sent Bellatrix over the edge against Hermione’s leg moments later. 

The twitches that shot through Hermione were so endearing she didn’t even notice when Hermione reached down to the slick she had left on her leg and dragged her fingers over it. She noticed only when her lover brought her fingers to her lips and moaned. 

“Delicious. Though I think I’d rather taste directly from the source,” Hermione said.

Bellatrix smirked. “How Gryffindor! Ready to dive right in.” 

“I thought it rather Slytherin, actually,” Hermione said, nonchalantly as she extricated herself and pushed Bellatrix onto her back. “My plan to use my hands and mouth during my first time pleasuring you seemed rather ambitious to me.”

Bellatrix laughed as Hermione ran her hands over her torso.

“She laughs as I’m about to pleasure her. What is a girl to think?”

“That you wanted me to laugh.”

“So I did,” Hermione said, grinning. She leaned in and brushed her lips against her lover’s before pulling away before Bellatrix could deepen it. 

Hermione was inexperienced, but the girl loved to learn and she felt her body was being studied as hands and mouth moved down. Each sound and response, Hermione catalogued and explored. It didn’t feel clinical like a St. Mungo’s healer as Hermione examined her body. She pressed her lips over every scar, murmuring how beautiful she was and incredible. Her scarred heart could barely fathom the gift it had been given. 

By the time Hermione got to where she needed her most, Bellatrix felt desperate and more vulnerable than she had ever felt in her life. She was completely exposed in every possible way. It was the scariest moment of her life. Dying didn’t scare her, but this. This was being seen and it was terrifying. 

As much as she had fought it, a few tears had managed to escape her eyes and when Hermione looked up at her, she barely managed not to start sobbing. 

She’d never felt so loved in her life, when Hermione pushed up and kissed her cheeks and then her lips, her eyelids, her forehead. Hermione flicked her forehead after she kissed it. 

“I have seen all of you and I love every bit of your dumbass and honestly whatever bullshit fate is; you are what I want. You have been always what I want... well, I’d have preferred without the torture murder bit, but I’m learning to deal with it.” Hermione let out a heavy sigh. 

“You as a person are the person I want.” Hermione let out another heavy breath. “And I know you are having a serious moment in your own head, but I really want to get back to what I was doing. You smell incredible and I’ve been thinking doing this to you for ages so let me distract you with my tongue in a way we haven’t explored yet in our bantering, so love, just let go for now.”

And she did. 

“Tell me it won’t go wrong,” Hermione said later, as they laid facing each other in the dark with their legs entwined. 

“You know I can’t. I won’t lie to you,” Bellatrix said, touching her face softly. “All I can tell you is that I will always be on your side and if that means I have to get with your friends. I will. I have to give because taking is too easy.”

Hermione burst into laughter. “I hate you so much.”

“You don’t.” 

“I don’t.”

“I love you. More than I ever thought myself capable of.”

“I love you, too.”

“We are putting all of our fears of the future on these meetings when really they might be the one of the easier parts of this.”

Hermione groaned. “That makes me feel better at the same time it makes me feel worse.” She shuffled forward and pressed against Bellatrix, who wrapped her arms around her. 

“Tell me again about my new friends,” Bellatrix said, stroking her hair. 

Hermione eventually dozed off as she spoke about the Weasley twins and anyone that she thought Bella would like and her eventual slow breathing calmed Bellatrix enough for her to find sleep as well.


	6. Chapter 6

Her owl in response from Tonks had suggested they meet for their talk outside Diagon Alley and then she would accompany her and her family while thet collected her school supplies instead of the other way around. Her letter had spoke vaguely of rising attacks throughout the summer and safety concerns. Hermione agreed and made the arrangements. 

She arrived at the pub early and ordered a draft Bellatrix seemed to like at the little Muggle pub. She sipped it as she waited. Her parents were nearby doing some of their own shopping and would be joining them in an hour. 

Thankfully, most of the patronage only cared about drinking and not the young woman in the dark booth off to the side. 

Finally a crash from near the door caught her attention and she spotted her friend. She had bumped into a table and knocked the napkin dispenser to the ground. Hermione really wondered how the woman would be as an Auror. 

“Wotcher, Hermione,” Tonks said, flopping into the seat across from her and waving to a waitress for another of what Hermione was having. “Where are your folks?”

Hermione frowned at her attitude. She had thought she made it clear that this was rather important in her owl, but perhaps she’d been too vague. “They’ll be here shortly.” She leaned forward. “Is Mad Eye listening in?”

Eyebrows furrowed, Tonks tilted her head. “No. He’s not. I asked the day off. He knows I’m going to be escorting you to Diagon, but that’s it.”

“And you are sure he’s not listening?”

“What’s this about Hermione?” she asked, her hand drifting to where Hermione imagined her wand was. “I thought this was just about getting your parents to let you go back to Hogwarts or something.”

“I wish it was something as simple as that. The attacks have unnerved them, but they’ve given me permission to return.” Not that she needed it as she was of age, but she didn’t want to admit that to a Ministry employee just yet especially before she dropped her bombshell. 

“Okay, Seriously, though, Hermione you are freaking me out. What’s this about?” she asked. 

“Look,” Hermione said. “I have something I need to tell you, but I need you to trust me enough to hand over your wand to me before I do.”

Tonks eyes bulged for a second. “Hermione, you know I can’t do that.”

“I am a Muggleborn. You Know Who would have killed me right off if they got to me.”

“How do I even know you are Hermione and they didn’t kill you and steal some hairs. You could be under the Imperius curse.”

“What can I do to prove myself to you? We don’t really know each other that well.” Hermione offered up her wand to the other witch. “Want me to sing Wannabe for you because honestly that ear worm is stuck in my head like crazy.”

“Wannabe?” Tonks said, confused as her waitress walked up with her drink and Hermione quickly concealed her wand. 

“Spice Girls. I can’t get it out of my head either,” the waitress said. “You are lucky you’ve escaped it so far.” Hermione smiled up at the waitress. “Though I might have to put it on. You should have to suffer with the rest of us,” she said, with a wink at Hermione. 

Tonks rubbed her hand over her face. She had really hoped this would be a lighthearted meet, but she really should have known better when one of the bloody Golden Trio contacted her... especially the brains. For fucks sake. She lifted her pint and took a long pull. 

“Wish your parents were here, that would have helped,” she said, slamming it down before throwing up her hands. “I don’t even bloody know what they look like.” 

“They will actually be here in a little bit. We could wait for them and they can bore you with talk about dentistry until you are adequately assured they are Muggles, but I really hoped to get this over with before they were here. My mom knows, but we left my dad out of some of it.”

“Fine.” The older girl groaned. “Name a terrible thing to put in a microwave.”

Without hesitation, Hermione said, “Aluminum.”

Tonks let out a breath. “Good enough. I can’t imagine a Death Eater knowing that. My pureblood mom ruined a lot of microwaves. We still have a note on the door saying ‘If it’s shiny don’t put in me’. My dad had nearly given up on having one at all.”

Hermione laughed. “They must make shite spies amongst Muggleborns. It’s rather daft that there aren’t more in the Order.”

Tonks smiled sadly and nodded. “My dad had thought about joining during the first war, but he found most of them to be too condescending so he just kept a low profile and protected me and my mom. He always said he liked Harry’s mom, but then she was a Muggleborn, too so....”

After a moment of silence, Tonks seemed to come to a decision. She did trust the brilliant Gryffindor so with a heavy sigh, she reached into her clothes and pulled out her wand. Hermione took it from her reverently. It was made of a light brown wood and was longer than her own. She tucked it away in her bag. 

“Alright, then, what’s this all about?” Tonks asked, seriously. 

Hermione took a deep breath. “I found my soulmate.”

Tonks eyes widened. “That’s... I’d say excellent, but,” she petered off as her thoughts raced. “When?” she asked even though it was pointless. She knew. 

“Do you remember what my tattoo says?” Hermione asked, ignoring the question. 

With a gulp, Tonks nodded her head. She tossed back the rest of her drink. “Fuck, I think I need something stronger for this conversation.”

“Tonks, I don’t really trust you to go to the bar right now,” Hermione said.

With a sigh, Tonks said. “I wouldn’t either. Can I at least call over the waitress? She’s clearly a Muggle.”

“Or Muggleborn.”

Tonks snorted. “Moody would be proud.”

“Well, I’ve learned the lesson of constant vigilance well even it wasn’t entirely from him.” Hermione drank down the rest of her beer. “Call her over. Let’s get wasted and have my Muggle parents lead us drunk through Diagon Alley. I could enjoy the laugh and maybe forget for a bit.” 

The waitress came over and blinked at the request of a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. They sat quietly while they waited. Hermione knew that Tonks already knew what she was going to say. She could see the conflict racing across her face. Telling the story she hoped would ease some of it and she wondered if letting the woman’s mind race was the right thing to do. Having time to process something before given details often helped her, but for some people it often cemented them in certain ideas. 

When the waitress returned, she had a basket of chips as well that she assured them they were free of charge. She smiled at Hermione again and told her that if she needed a light moment to give her a look and regardless of the outrage she’d get Wannabe would be playing next. Hermione planned to give her a massive tip. 

“You really have a way with the ladies,” Tonks said, pouring them both a healthy measure. She made to push the glass toward her before she hesitated. “You are barely a 6th year.”

“I’m of age. The trace is gone. In September, I’ll be 18,” she said, reaching forward and grabbing the glass. 

“The Order doesn’t know that and I doubt the Ministry does even with how close they are watching you. How?”

“The Ministry knows, but are keeping it quiet because it’s their fault for assigning me a time turner my third year. I was always older being born in late September.”

“How do you know the Ministry knows?”

“How do you think?” Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow and taking a sip of her whiskey. 

Tonks took a much larger swallow of her whiskey. “My aunt. Fuck.”

Hermione closed her eyes. “Yes,” she murmured, clutching at her chest. Tonks finished her drink and poured herself another. She knew she was supposed to be protecting the Granger family today in Diagon Alley, but who could blame her in that moment. She was wholly on board with Hermione’s plot to be drunk as hell walking through Diagon. 

With a sigh, she leaned back. “Tell me everything.”

A soft look crossed the girl’s face and Tonks remembered wanting that. She was only technically 5 years older than the girl. As Hermione told her tale, she found herself feeling oddly jealous and drinking her feelings. 

She had know Remus Lupin was her soulmate from the moment she met him a couple years ago, but thought he was just being respectful as she got her footing in the Auror department only to find him rejecting the bond with everything he had when she finally confronted him. 

The fact her accursed aunt could accept it with a Muggleborn of all people and he couldn’t was a slap in the face. Merlin, she was jealous and a bit drunk. 

“I found my soulmate, too,” she said, quietly, interrupting Hermione’s story. Hermione instantly quieted and reached out and touched her hand. 

“My mom told me about my aunt’s tattoo. Monster.” Hermione flinched at the word and bowed her head. “I don’t blame you, but my mom hated really that word. Good reason. She insisted I see people beyond what society dictates.” She took a swig of her whiskey. “My soulmate is Remus Lupin and while I never called him that he can only see himself as one and he rejected me.” She downed what was in her glass and refilled it. “How does my aunt accept you so easily and my own soulmate rejects me?” she asked, her voice cracking. 

Hermione slid out from her side of her booth and into Tonks’ side and wrapped her arms around her. 

“Self loathing is often harder to deal with than hating strangers,” she said. “You know yourself, but strangers are unknown and learning about them you can stop hating. That’s what your aunt did and it’s not something Professor Lupin can do. He knows himself and hates himself. He has to learn to love himself and that’s really hard even without the world against you.”

“How did you get so smart?”

“I read Muggle psychology books on my down time.”

“You had down time?”

Hermione rolled her eyes. “I can get the other students to write to him wishing he’d come back. Won’t be hard. He was the best DADA professor we ever had. It will help him to see his worth, but won’t be easy. He’s your soulmate. Help him. He didn’t reject you. He rejected himself.”

“Okay. I’ll try. But seriously though ,” Tonks shook her head. “My aunt, the notorious blood purist Death Eater, Bellatrix Lestrange, really stayed with you and your Muggle parents for the summer?” Tonks asked, staring at her.

“Yep. We even went skiing in France.”

“And the Longbottom boy was really okay with it?”

“Well, he doesn’t know about the summer, but he knows about her and me. She’s spared his life at least twice. He knows me enough to trust me to do the right thing.” 

She glanced at her watch. “Crap, my parents will be here soon.” She shuffled back over to her side and pulled out some photographs. Tonks took them and her mouth dropped seeing her aunt grinning without a care what she assumed were Hermione’s Muggle parents. 

“Wow,” she said, flipping through them. Hermione and Bellatrix looked so fucking happy. She was staring at the one where Bellatrix was playing video games with Hermione’s dad with her tongue out when Hermione’s parents arrived. 

Hermione’s mom eyed the bottle of whiskey and the glass in her daughter’s hand as she sat. She laughed as she waved for another glass as her husband pouted. Designated driver duties even in the middle of the day apparently. 

Hermione made the introductions. Her parents were fascinated by Bellatrix’s estranged niece and Tonks was the same at these Muggles that had tamed her evil aunt. When Hermione saw her getting a tad overwhelmed she signaled the waitress and she dragged Tonks out to dance to Wannabe. 

“Your parents love her.”

“We all love her.”

“Fucking hell, Granger. My mom’s going to freak.”

“She wants me to go with her to talk to her.”

“My mom’s gonna murder her.”

“Yeah, that’s why I talked to you first,” Hermione said, with a laugh. 

“I like your parents.” 

“So do she.”

“So she’s on our side now?”

Hermione nodded. “You can’t say anything.”

“I understand spy craft. I’ve watched and read a lot of what you have.”

“I’d hoped. She matters too much to me.” 

“Fuck this is weird.”

“Indeed.”

“This song is ridiculous.”

“Shut up. I like it,” Hermione said. 

“I imagine because you are,” Tonks leaned in and whispered “a homosexual for my AUNT.” Hermione giggled and shoved her. 

The song ended and they rejoined her parents laughing. They ate the chips and had a bit more of the whiskey. Her dad engaged Tonks as Hermione snuggled up against her mom, feeling happy and hopeful. 

*****

They left the car parked near the Leaky Cauldron and made their way into the bar. Her parents had gotten more used to seeing magical people over their summer excursions to Diagon Alley, but her father could never help the excited gleam in his eye. Tonks squinted as she tapped the stones in the back wall and Diagon Alley opened up to them. Hermione leaned against her as she took in the magical world she hadn’t seen for an entire summer. 

As she looked at it, she realized it really shouldn’t have been surprising that her mother had kept up a correspondence with Molly Weasley. During the summer before her second year, the Weasley’s had kindly offered to show them around the Alley to find Hermione’s school supplies and help them set up an account for her at Gringotts. Her mother wouldn’t have let such a good contact go that easily. 

She was actually surprised her father and Mr. Weasley hadn’t become friends. Arthur had seemed keen back then. When she asked about it, her mother admitted that her father had found him a bit too much. 

Hermione could understand that. The fact his retention of Muggle concepts was near zilch had often frustrated her when he seemed so interested. Last she had checked, he still couldn’t say electricity correctly. It amazed her he could perform some of the most simple spells. It reminded her of Ronald and his atrocious pronunciation. She had immediately felt bad for the thought, but Bellatrix had found it hilarious. 

At the thought of Bella, she felt the pang of loss hit her hard, especially after all the alcohol. It had been hard to see her leave not knowing when they would see each other again. She let go of Tonks and sighed. 

They had woken early despite their late night and made love again before dozing a little longer. Her parents left them alone until mid morning when it was really time for them to start getting ready. 

Bellatrix had to leave all her Muggle clothes behind and Hermione cheekily put on Bellatrix’s favorite Muggle shirt. Bellatrix cheekily reached into her underwear drawer and snatched a pair of her knickers. They had ended up rolling around fighting over it on her bed before her mother shouted at them to quit acting like horny teenagers and get a move on. 

She had a bit of a point really because Bellatrix had just tucked the pants into her bosom and well... Hermione may have been making an attempt to retrieve them with her teeth. Alas.

They found breakfast kept warm in the oven when they finally showed their faces. Her parents tried to keep breakfast lighthearted. Her father had made Bellatrix’s coffee just the way she liked it and Hermione’s mom had made way too much bacon. They knew what it felt like to be soulmates separated. They could only imagine how much worse it would feel to be separated by a war. 

Bella had promised to figure out a way for them to communicate as soon as she could. Owls would be too risky. She knew about a two way mirror Sirius had used with James Potter and figured she could work out something of the sort for the two of them or maybe a journal they could write back and forth in. 

Hermione tried again to convince Bellatrix to take the drive into London with them, but she had just shook her head. Hermione’s parents had looked at Bellatrix then like they did when they looked at her when they thought her the most frustrating, but best thing they’d ever seen in their life. She could see their love break and mend Bellatrix’s heart in one fell sweep. Hermione watched it all flash across Bellatrix’s face. 

She didn’t think she could love the woman more, but then she made that kind of face under the weight of her parents’ love and Hermione fell even further. She knew Bellatrix loved her parents in that moment and it was beautiful.

They went out to the garden and Bellatrix removed a ring from her finger that she knew Hermione admired and conjured a silver necklace to string it on. Hermione raised her hair so Bellatrix could place it around her neck. Bellatrix placed a kiss over the seal. Hermione knew she’d never take it off.

She held it tight in her fist as she looked out over Diagon Alley. She quickly spotted the row of wanted signs. Her witch was there screaming into the void. 

Her mother’s hand landed on hers and she looked up at her, seeing they had been looking at the same thing. “I must say she did clean up nicely especially after she dealt with those dreadful teeth of hers. Wizarding prisons are absolutely barbaric allowing such a thing to happen to prisoners,” her mother said, quietly. 

Her father hadn’t noticed what they were looking at yet and neither of them were particularly interested in having that conversation at the moment. Thankfully, Tonks was keeping him distracted. He knew a bit of Bellatrix’s past, but he didn’t need to see her like that. 

“I liked that one of hers as well,” her mother said, as Hermione released the death grip she had on the ring and she got a good look at it. She smiled before she tucked it back under Hermione’s shirt. “Don’t let her cunning gift be exposed just because you miss her. She put it on a necklace for you to hide it. I, also, think she likes knowing she’s got something pressed against your brave heart. I imagine it makes her feel like she’s got a touch of your bravery. Keep her against your heart.” Hermione’s mom looked away. “I feel like she will need it.” 

Hermione hugged her mother as tight as she could, breathing in as much of her mother as she could. “Love you.”

“I love you, too. I’m glad her niece is on your side. You need all the allies you can get. Now let’s get a move on before your father decides that we need an owl for no other reason then to bother our birdwatching neighbors.”

Hermione grinned. “Doesn’t Crookshanks do that enough?”

“Crookshanks is only around during the summer and he’s always disappointed when we stop receiving strongly worded letters about allowing your menace of a cat outdoors.” Her mother grinned. “Rick! You need to tell Hermione and Tonks about the photo of Crookshanks we received from the neighbors.” 

“Didn’t I already? I thought it was on the fridge?” he said, scratching his head. “Maybe I only told Bellatrix.”

Hermione cleared her throat. They had discussed the protocol about discussing her soulmate once in Diagon Alley. Her father rolled his eyes. “BB. Whatever. Any way...”

Hermione and Tonks laughed as her father recounted the story. She wondered if Bellatrix had snatched the photo as a memory because she didn’t remember seeing it. 

Crooks rarely spent much time with her over the summer. He loved roaming around her village and she didn’t mind since it was his only time to really just romp around a normal Muggle town and pester the neighbors. In the castle, he could only cause so much trouble without a spell being cast his way. A normal broom was much less trouble.

The initial standoff between Crooks and Bella had left her near tears. She had let Crooks out upon arrival and it took him a few days to return for some snuggles. 

Unfortunately, he arrived in the middle of the night and found another person in her bed. As a good familiar, he had been examining Bellatrix’s face quite closely which, of course, stirred the woman from her sleep. His very adorable, Hermione would have you know, scrunched up face had startled the woman so bad, she had tried to hex him and in turn he launched at her claws unleashed. 

Bellatrix tried to say they had come to a compromise, but the Grangers all knew who won that fight. He mostly enjoyed his usual routine of annoying the neighbors, but he grew to enjoy messing with Bellatrix on occasion as well. Hermione enjoyed watching her chase him waving her wand. 

One night in the middle of July, she had fallen asleep watching a movie and woke to see her traitorous cat purring and enjoying some loving pets from Bellatrix. It was too cute to interrupt so she continued to pretend to be sleeping with an eye cracked. 

She shook off the memories as they made their way down the street. They needed to start at Gringotts. Her father had learned early how much the goblins hated to be stared at and let out a large breath of air when they finally exited. It was hard for him to not be bewildered by a place so clearly full of magical beings even after knowing about their existence for as many years as he had. They also hadn’t looked to fondly at the fact that Hermione and Tonks were clearly intoxicated as they kept falling into giggles. 

Unfortunately, her father focused on exactly what they didn’t want him to. “There are a lot more Wanted posters than there were last time we were here,” he said to Tonks after a moment. 

Hermione grabbed her dad’s arm. “I told you about that mass breakout in the middle of the year. That was months ago. Let’s get my books,” she said, trying to distract him. 

“But they still haven’t caught them?” he asked Tonks again. 

“Dad!”

“Alright! Alright let’s go,” he said, trying to shake off the outrage as his eyes drifted towards the drunk Auror.

“We are trying. It’s hard when they are being harbored by family and soulmates,” she said, giving Hermione a pointed look. 

Her father let out a sudden breath as he seemed to realize. “Ah yes! Your books! Let’s go. Mustn’t keep my little bookworm away from her favorite part of the trip!” Hermione’s mom rolled her eyes at Hermione and they both smiled. 

Tonks looped her arm with Hermione’s and rested her drunk head on her shoulder. “Before the end of the summer?”

Hermione tilted her head to rest on hers. “Yeah. She’s meeting with your other aunt today. I hope it goes as well as it did with you,” she said, slinging an arm around the woman.

“I still have my misgivings.”

“I’m sure you do. Keep the pictures. I got my mum to print doubles.” She looked up at the older girl. “I understand them. I really really do, but I want you to understand that I love her with all my heart. She spent most of the summer trying to get all of us to run away. Your mom and dad and you included. She didn’t want to go back, but she knows I won’t run.”

Tonks nodded. She knew what she’d do for Remus if only he would get a clue. “I’ll talk to my mom.”

“She really loves your mom and hasn’t ever stopped.”

“My mom loves her, too,” Tonks said. “It’s gonna be right Black family shitshow.”

“Sounds fun,” Hermione said with a grin. 

Tonks shook her head. “You’ve really got too much Gryffindor bravery for your own good.”


End file.
